Phantom
by TheDarkestCon
Summary: •A special Halloween story 2014• Red Alert visits his cousins where they tell him a real story. It isn't very scary. Well until it actually comes true of course. It was too much for Red Alert to take as he promptly offlined from shock with the last thoughts floating in his processor. "The Phantom of The Hatchet is going to dissect me..."


**|Phantom|**

**•A special Halloween story 2014•**

Red Alert visits his cousins where they tell him a real story. It isn't very scary. Well until it actually comes true of course.

|•|

"Welcome to our humble hut Red."

Sideswipe smiled as he lead the way with his cousin trailing behind. Red Alert's audio horn sparked once and his right optic twitched as he surveyed the area of the twin's apartment.

Wasn't to big wasn't too small. It seemed alright.

Why was he here again? Oh yes to have a nice talk with his cousins to see what they could do to help in his constant fear... Of everything. You see Red Alert like what other bots have been saying- have a little glitch up there. In other words he's like a frightened young sparkling who is literally have this constant afraid of everything... Including his own shadow.

A cold breeze blew into the room sending chills running down his spinal array. Why was there wind in here? It was coming to the end of an Orn. The Nova Cycle. What was that? A Security breech? A way of enemy intrusion? Different outcomes fluttered like cyberflies in his processor.

Keep calm. Keep _calm_. Deep vents Red. Deep vents. He looked around and scanned his surrounds once more. It was an ordinary two story apartment. From where he was, in the main hall, he could see the two stories clearly. There were datapads on scattered around, medical equipment lining the walls and a magnificent snipper gun hug proudly on the wall. The only reason why he didn't run right out in fear, with the though that it was a Mad Doctor's domain, was the intricately engraved Autobot insignia in the middle of the hall. It was probably done by his other cousin, Sunstreaker. He had heard that he was quiet skilful with his digits. Artistically on a canvas and also on the battlefield.

Finally he managed out a proper statement.

"Where's Sunstreaker? I thought he was coming too?"

"Ah Sunny will be making his appearance soon enough... He's currently out with his friend Bluestreak. Though I must tell you he might not be in his right mind right now..."

Red jerked his helm foreward, alarm flashing in his paranoid blue optics.

"What? Why? Is he a sociopath?!"

He's friend had warmed him about his cousins... Especially the yellow one.

Sideswipe shook his helm a slight smirk pressed at the edges of his mouth.

"Do you know anything about Sunnyboy? Anything at all?"

Red Alert casted his optics onto the ground and shook his helm again.

"Inferno sent me Datapads on the many mechs that stayed here in this district of Kaon. It... Took me awhile to actually leave my comfort zone to visit you." Embarrassment lanced his words.

Sideswipe barked out a short loud laugh.

"Oh my bro ain't so bad. In fact you'll be able to meet him once he returned..." The red mech lowered his voice to a deathly hiss.

"So you didn't hear about the Phantom of the Acid Storm?"

The name send new ripples of fear shuddering down his backstrut. Phantom? Acid storm? What? Where! When?

Sideswipe must've noticed his cousin's frantic EM pulse as he played a reassuring servo onto the red and white armour.

"Do you know why we keep this window open all the time?"

He gestured to the top of his two story apartment. In the middle of the wall about three helms taller than Red Alert, stood an open window. It was those type where it required somebot to haul himself up to exit. Or you could take the stairs. Wasn't too hard to get up there and sit on the ledge. Something like an emergency exit or just to allow fresh ventilation to enter the premises. It was quite popular in Kaon but due to Red's paranoia of prowling monsters he refused to install one-much to Inferno, his room mate's, chagrin.

"Why?" He echoed puzzlingly. Was it related to the Phantom of The Acid Storm?"

As if his cousin could hear his exact thoughts the red mech nodded and sucked air into his tanks sharply.

"Why my brother is so unstable and the reason why the window is always open till the Nova cycle where only the stars could guild your way is all linked to the Orn the terrible Acid Storm struck Cybertron."

A horrible Acid Storm struck Cybertron? When? Where? How!? Red Alert got into a frenzy again. His audio horns sparked blue electric pulses as his paranoia threatened to take over.

"Dude. Red bro Chillax! That was long ago! Approxi 3 Vorns ago! It's alright now. Really it is!"

Without giving Red a chance to interrupt Sideswipe started his story.

"Three Vorns ago there were other bots that used to stay with us. That's why we have a two story home."

A tragedy?

Well it was no surprise to Red. There was danger literally prowling everywhere! They might be a mirage but nobot knows! They could be carrying hatchets and secretly attacking him in his recharge!

"They were widely known and we very notorious..."

Sideswipe lowered his voice an octet lower.

"Their names were Prowler, The Hatchet and Mirage."

Prowler?!

The Hatchet?!

Mirage!?

Holly mother of fragging Primus!

No it couldn't be a half-cracked glitched-up coincidence. It couldn't!

Sideswipe was serious. He wasn't laughing or smirking anymore.

"So well everyOrn the three will head off to their respective places. Prowler to Iacon to stirr up trouble, The Hatchet to Kaon's medbay to dissect a new patient and Mirage disappearing to the forest to hunt turbo-foxes. Now you see him. Now you don't. Are you following me so far?"

Red nodded stiffly his processor whirling at the amount of danger his two cousins were living with. These three mechs sounded like they were spawned from the pit itself!

"They'll always return. Prowler sneaking into the apartment like a silent killer. The Hatchet with his trusty Wrench o' doom and Mirage the invisible menace. They'll come back and clamber right through this very window and onto the second story."

Sideswipe pointed his digit upwards and gave a small sad smile.

"That's where they used to recharge everynight... Before they were gone."

"Gone? How? Why?!"

"As I said a terrible Acid Storm struck the area. Didn't you feel it? The three of them left one Orn... And never came back. The Storm came and we think they were engulfed in the middle of it. Nobot found their bodies. And it has been like this every since."

Red Alert choked back a frightened whimper. This story was turning into a ghost story!

"Sunstreaker was sparkmates with one of 'em... Poor bro. He was so distraught when The Hatchet didn't come back at the end of the Orn."

He gazed wistfully at the open window as another cool breeze floated into the room to greet the silence.

"That was three Vorns ago... Till today Sunny leaves the window open every Nova cycle regardless of the Kaon Gang mechs or the other stuff that go bump in the night wishing and praying to Primus that one Orn they'll return again..."

Sideswipe vented softly again and shuttered his optics with growing emotion. Red Alert dipped his helm. Those three mechs might've been foreign and pretty much scary as frag to him but if his cousins were so close to them.. Well he should respect that too.

The silence was getting very very erie and grim. Red shivered again for the umpteen time. Sideswipe forced a laugh and spoke again shattering the silence.

"Nova Cycles like these I really feel that they might actually emerge from the darkness and pop into the apartment ..."

"WE'RE HOME!"

Red Alert fell of the couch he was on as a new voice came into the halls.

"I'm sorry for being so late oh my Primus! Did you wait long? I'm so so sorry! We were just in the shops buying more energon and paint. Oh you know how Sunstreaker here loves paint! We bought so many colours! Pink, gold, grey, oh your favorite colour Sides! Red! Oh and blue! I don't even know why he got blue! I mean I know I'm called Bluestreak but I'm not blue! In fact I'm grey! But grey isn't even in my name is it? Maybe I should be called Greystreak? Or Goldstreak so I'll need to be gold like Sunstreaker. Oh maybe I'll be calle-"

"Blue I think that's enough buddy you're babbling again..."

Two lean mechs. One Grey the other a striking Gold appeared in the doorway with a flutter of words that made Red Alert's processor spin and nearly scared the living spark out of him.

"Hello there! I'm so sorry for my bad manners! I'm Bluestreak as you can see but I'm not blue I'm grey an-"

Sideswipe's twin slapped a servo onto the talkative mouth of the grey Praxian. Red took two steps back nearly stumbling over the couch.

"Ermm... I'm... I'm Red Alert... Side and Sunstreaker's cousin. I gues-"

"Woah! You two have a cousin? That's awesome! I wish I had a cousin! Prowler is like a brother to me but that doesn't exactly count does it? Well you two are my best friends I've even had! Maybe I can make new friends with your cousin? Does he like the colour red? He has the same paint job as you Sideswipe! But I prefer gold no offense bro. You know it looks so brig-"

"BLUE!" Sunstreaker exclaimed deadpan.

"Enough. I think you'll blow O'l Red's processors if you talk anymore. Don't want Prowler to be correcting you don't ya?"

Prowler?

Red Alert tried not to wince as he fiddled with his servos uncomfortably infront of him. A sad frown appeared on Bluestreak's faceplate.

"He's always gone... I wish he'll come back earlier next time..."

Red's spark twisted at the quiet words. Exactly how long had they been like this?

"Yeah Hatchet's coming back soon I hope? It's getting dark... I hope they didn't get lost."

The golden mech leaped up with surprising agility and sat on the edge of the window his helm tilted longingly out. As if he was waiting for his long-lost mate to return.

"I hope they come back soon. I mean I really really miss them sometimes. Especially Prowler. He's so nice to me. I hope Mirage came back with a new hunt. Now it's the best time to catch turbo-foxes. Usually he comes back and polishes his snipper riffle... In fact Prowler was the one that gave me my first weapon! Mirag-"

"Blue keep your trap shut! They might be coming home anytime now!"

Red Alert didn't even know what to feel at that moment. Sorry? Grief? Poor mechs! He tried in vain to change the subject but obviously both his hostess were paying little attention to him. So as politely and grimly he clambered up to his golden cousin who was still seating motionlessly on the edge. Sideswipe followed him up and settled a few meters away from them. Red sat with his back facing the glass, his helm turned in a way that he couldn't see the outside but only to speak to his cousin.

"Hey... I just wan-"

But his words were cut off as Sideswipe suddenly jerked foreward. His optics widened in utmost shock. Mouth agape.

He saw something outside...

"Hey! I think I can see then!" Sunstreaker exclaimed as his optics lightened two shades higher. His mouth twisting into a rare smile.

A chilling indescribable foreboding sense of dread crepted over him.

Three figures were walking noiselessly towards them. They seemed translucent. The blue mech could only been seen partially. One was dark with golden optics and two elegant doorwings proudly spread at the back. One shared his identical color scheme barring dried energon here and there splattered all over his dark red frame. One held a long snipper riffle and suddenly disappea-... Wait _what_?

It was as if the cogs in Red's systems halted for a nanoclick as his spark skipped a beat.

"Sorry we're late mechs. We were held up for this Orn..."

The ghost spoke.

Red Alert threw himself off the ledge and fell faceplate first onto the first story. A small moan escaped his lips as his helm slammed onto the ground. He tried to struggle to his peds but his equilibrium was in a mess. Faintly he heard the sound of Sideswipe's pedsteps coming towards him. Followed by three other foreign ones.

"Who the _frag_ is that? And why did that pit-spawn leap off the window like that? Did he think he'd grown wings of something?" A gruff voice snarled whist gentle but firm servos flipped his around. Red Alert onlined his sore optics and came faceplate to faceplate with...

The Hatchet.

Prowler and Mirage appeared at his side. The great mech, the dried splattered energon decorating his hide, the menacing two other mechs flanking him... Their servos flashing and illuminating the darkness...

It was too much for Red Alert to take as he promptly offlined from shock with the last thoughts floating in his processor.

_"The Phantom of The Hatchet is going to dissect me..."_

|•|

A/n

Happy Halloween fellow writers! I hope you enjoyed Sideswipe's little 'story' XD

Please review?

Peace out!

~Thedarkestcon


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